The Method
Marie Kondo, author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” has redefined organization. She works on “the metric of joy.” Ask yourself, “has this item sparked joy for me recently?” If the answer is no, remove it from your life. You’ll soon find yourself with a decluttered home surrounded by only meaningful possessions.
Autumn Organizing
The transition into fall is the perfect time to try out the KonMari method in your home. Soon it will be cold and the holidays are approaching; take time to pack away everything summer and take on the fall and winter at peace and in control of your life.
Here are the top10 areas in you life that would benefit from the KonMari method in this time of transition:
- Clothing: To prepare for autumn, try KonMari’s method while switching over you closet. Put all of your clothes- winter and summer- in the center of the room, then go through each article. Does it spark joy? Then pack away your favorite warm-weather clothes to make room for your favorite cozy sweaters. Begin this fall season with a more manageable, meaningful wardrobe.
- Garage: Make room for the snow blower! Take the time to pack away summer gardening tools and children’s beach toys and bring to access winter essentials like snow-removal tools, wood-chopping tools, etc. Be sure to get rid of items that cause unnecessary clutter to create an accessible space.
- Office: Create a peaceful place where you can think and work clearly, free of clutter. Clear out inboxes, and create organized files on your computer. Try digitalizing your physical files and then shredding documents that are taking up space in your office. Be sure to back up all files!
- Kitchen pantries: Get rid of that blue icing your bought for your child’s birthday cake three years ago. Go through your non-perishables and get rid of anything you know you’ll never use. Make room to stock up on soups and other foods you will be eating more of come the colder weather.
- Coats/Shoes: Winter coats and boots are bulky, so it is easy to have a stuffed and messy closet when it is not kept organized. Go through your coat closet and trash or donate anything that you didn’t use last winter, or anything that your children have grown out of. If your closet if full of old, outdated coats, treat yourself to a new one if you can afford it and get rid of that puffy jacket you still have from college.
- Children’s Toys: Christmas is around the corner… which means a new wave of clutter for those with children. Take the time now to go through your child’s toys and donate those that haven’t been played with in some time. You will be much more at peace later when new toys are added to the playroom.
- Home decorations: It’s almost time to put out your favorite leaf-patterned table cloth! Everyone loves to make their house festive for the season, but these decorations collect over time and we often find ourselves with more than we can use. If decorations are left in the storage bin during a season, get rid of them. Only keep those that spark joy in your life and contribute to your home décor.
- Christmas tree ornaments:Tree ornaments are their own separate category because so many families have more than they can count. If you leave half of your decoration in the bin or your tree is falling over due to the weight of so many ornaments, take some time to minimize your collection. This is a difficult task as tree ornaments tend to be particularly sentimental, but having a decluttered home will help you better enjoy the holiday season. Do this now before Christmas so that when it comes time to decorate the tree, you are not tempted to keep every one.
- Car: Go through your backseat and remove the bags, jackets, and trash left behind from passengers, particularly children. Autumn is a busy time, so give yourself some peace in the car while you’re driving from work to children’s activities.
- Papers and files: Take the time to go through all of the papers that have gathered on your desk or counters. Create an organized and protected space to keep anything important like medical and financial files. It is a good idea to also digitalize these files. Then get rid of anything that will not be referred to later like flyers, receipts (unless they document a large and important purchase, in which case keep), and old schoolwork.
Why Declutter Your Life?
We are surrounded by things, clothing, books, papers, mementos, but much of our time is not spent enjoying those things. Rather we feel cluttered and overwhelmed by the space they take up and how we can’t find anything.
The concept of decluttering your life boils down to one question: what are the things that spark joy in you? Once you can minimize the possessions that do not, calmness begins to take their place. Instead of constantly feeling frustrated by cleaning and organizing, a huge amount of time is freed for other pursuits. Imagine whatever it is that gives you peace or brings you joy. If you want to have more time for it, remove the unimportant things that are taking up valuable time, energy and thought.
What Does The KonMari Method Require?
Get a copy of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” and begin this life-changing process. Following the steps in this book will quickly lead to a home that is more organized and more reflective of your authentic self.
The first step to the KonMari Method is to picture the end result. Envision exactly what will bring you peace. The book then takes you through categories of possessions rather than rooms. Each category is pared down to what you will keep through a series of steps. After you have discarded items there are specific ways in which to organize and place the possessions that are left.
The KonMari Method is a studied approach that will declutter your life and bring you peace and calm. It is worth reading the book and trying it out in your home. Whether you wish to work through one category to start or take a comprehensive approach, In Order To Succeed is a full service firm with professionals who can assist you in getting your home and your life organized, the KonMari way!